Social Security Disability Hearing: Lay Witness Testimony

One of the most important aspects of a Social Security disability hearing is the testimony of lay witnesses. How your Social Security disability attorney in the Woodlands examines a lay testimony is crucial in providing the detailed and necessary information the administrative law judge needs to award disability benefits.

Before and After Testimony

One type of important lay witness testimony is before and after testimony regarding your physical or mental condition. Basically, this type of testimony compares your condition from before the onset of your impairment to how you currently function.

Details, Details, Details

Your Social Security disability attorney in the Woodlands will need to elicit very detailed before and after testimony in order to demonstrate to the administrative law judge that your disability prevents you from being gainfully employed and thus you should be awarded disability benefits.

One of the most important characteristics of a successful before and after lay testimony is describing your impairment from an eyewitness point of view and how it limits your actions, specifically those having to do with work functions. In other words, the more specific details your lay witness can provide about how your physical or mental condition affects your every day life activities and ability to work, the more convinced the judge will be that you should be awarded Social Security disability benefits.

Corroborative Testimony

Another type of useful lay witness testimony is corroborative testimony. In some situations, your Social Security disability attorney in the Woodlands will need to use a lay witness to simply corroborate your testimony. This type of testimony gives your testimony more credibility in front of the judge by a third person who would gain no benefits from lying or stretching the truth.

Call Us For More Information

To determine whether your disability prevents you from engaging in physical exertion as defined by the SSA, contact Houston Social Security disability attorney Dana Speer at 713-857-2123.

 
713-857-2123 Direct Line
877-373-5105 Direct Fax